


Chemical Revolution

by ponygirl



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Friendship, Gen, I'm so sorry, Ripping off movie plots since 2010, Season/Series 04, author prescience, outland - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:35:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23643202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ponygirl/pseuds/ponygirl
Summary: In the near future, the Tenth Doctor and Donna arrive in Venezuela, only to be pulled into the mystery surrounding a seemingly healthy young man who dies from a heart attack. Things are not what they seem, and the Doctor must race to prevent Donna from becoming the victim of a plot which reaches to the highest levels of government.
Kudos: 9





	Chemical Revolution

**Author's Note:**

> This is what happens when you stumble across a fanfic you wrote ten years ago and never published, only to find out that you predicted a massive virus pandemic occurring on Earth in the early 2020s.
> 
> Seriously, I cannot make this shit up.
> 
> Anyway, this was originally written for a multi-author thingie that never materialized. It was supposed to be ficisode #2 of the Doctor Who Series 4 and 3/4 project. I'm guessing no one will be bothered at this point if I just throw it out there a decade later.

**Chemical Revolution**

Donna held tightly to the lever on the TARDIS console, and tried to ignore the way that the Doctor's fingers were digging into the edge of the panel next to her, white-knuckled. When he swallowed with an audible gulp, she could stand it no longer.

"Oi! Martian Boy, shut it! Everything is under control, all right? I've watched you land this thing a thousand times. Seriously, how hard can it be?" she said.

"I didn't say anything!" replied the Doctor, his voice climbing into that annoying upper register that it only achieved when he was being really defensive about something. "But... Donna..."

She'd seen it, too. "What's that? What does that flashing light mean?"

"It's the helmic regulator-- we're slipping off course! Quick, stabilise the dimensional thrusters!"

"Dimensional thrusters? Which switch is that?"

"The green dial on the left!" he said, pointing to a control just out of her reach. "Quick, before we--"

Donna lunged for the dial with her free hand as the rest of the Doctor's dire prediction was swallowed by the trumpeting sound of materialisation. She braced herself for what she knew was coming next, and couldn't help feeling a guilty little surge of satisfaction as the combined sideways lurch and bone-jarring thump sent the Doctor flying. Straightening up and releasing her death grip on the controls, she turned to check on him, wedged up against the base of the jump-seat.

"All right down there, Spaceman?" she asked, struggling to wipe the grin off of her face and replace it with a suitable look of concern.

"Never better, thanks" floated up from floor level.

The smile broke free. "I did it, though! I landed us. I landed the TARDIS!"

The Doctor looked up at her. "So you did, Donna Noble." A grin as large as her own slid over his face, like the sun sliding out from behind the clouds. "And that's _brilliant_."

Donna looked down and to the side as she felt a blush colour her cheeks; the same flush of embarrassment she always felt when someone praised her that openly. Next to her, the Doctor popped to his feet like a jack-in-the-box and started flipping switches next to the scanner screen.

"Now, let's see where we've ended up," he said.

"You said we were drifting off course. So, this isn't Midnight?"

"Nope," he answered, popping his "p".

"Pity. I could really use a manicure and a massage. Not so sure about the anti-gravity restaurant, though."

"Oh-- you'll love it! They have bibs."

"So, where are we, then?" 

The Doctor pulled the scanner screen around and scrutinised it for a moment. "Looks like... Venezuela. Somewhere in the Orinoco Belt, in April 2024."

"What-- so it's, like, a jungle? Oh, this I have to see!" She hurried toward the double doors, but his voice stopped her halfway down the ramp.

"Donna... better not. Sorry."

She stared at him. "'Better not'? Are you kidding me? This, from the man who thinks that bungee-jumping from a spaceship is a fun way to spend an afternoon? It's only a jungle-- what's the problem?"

"It's not that. It's the date-- 2024. That's within your lifetime. Better to steer clear, and avoid--"

"If you say 'spoilers', I'm coming back up there to thump you one."

"We-ell," he started, and she took a step toward him, raising her arm threateningly. "All right, all right... call them 'complications', then. Knowing things about your own future can be awkward."

Donna lowered her hand, frowning. "Yeah, okay. Fine." She peered up at him through her lashes, using her best puppy dog look. "Just a little peek, though? Five minutes? It's the first time I've landed the TARDIS, after all." She could see him begin to waver, and played her trump card. "C'mon, seriously-- how much am I likely to learn about my future in the middle of the South American rain forest?"

It was obvious the exact moment he folded, and she wondered if he realised how pathetically easy he could be sometimes. 

"Oh... why not?" he said finally, and she grinned, letting out a little squeak of excitement as she hurried back to the door. "Just five minutes, though!" he added, mock stern.

"Yeah, yeah. Now hurry up! The jungle awaits," she said, opening the door with a flourish and stepping outside.

He joined her in the grimy, bare area in front of the TARDIS, the immediate view blocked by shipping containers and rusty metal machinery. Stinking smoke wafted through the air.

"Or not," she finished lamely.

"Oh, look!" he said, sounding charmed. "It's an oil field!"

"Well, that's rubbish," Donna complained, letting her hands fall to her sides. "I thought this was supposed to be the jungle."

"Lots of oil in the Orinoco Belt, Donna. Even in your time, Venezuela is one of the biggest petroleum producers in the world."

"And it's grubby... and it stinks. Ugh. Between this and Atmos, I may never drive again."

"You lot should really look into cold fusion to power your transport. So, ready to leave?"

Donna shrugged, deflated. "S'pose so. I think I'm ready for that manicure--"

Her thought was interrupted by a cry for help, followed by confused shouting from beyond their little enclave of stored machinery. In an instant, the Doctor was off and running, Donna two steps behind him, all thoughts of spoilers forgotten as if they had never existed.

A knot of people dressed in orange overalls surrounded someone lying on the ground.

"Stand aside! Let me through; I'm a doctor!" barked the Doctor, elbowing a way through the little crowd until he and Donna could kneel next to the young man at the center. Donna had an impression of broad shoulders and an unlined face as the boy began to convulse, clutching his chest for a few moments before falling back, limp. The Doctor whipped out his stethoscope and unzipped the boy's overalls to listen to his heart and lungs. "He's fibrillating. No breath sounds. Donna, do you know CPR?"

The too-familiar feeling of failure, of not being good enough, washed over her. "No. I'm sorry," she said, vowing right there and then that she would learn it. "Maybe... could you tell me how to do it?"

Before he could answer, a woman appeared at Donna's shoulder. She was short but strong-looking; features just too angular to be considered attractive, dressed in the same orange clothing as the other workers.

"I know CPR," said the newcomer.

"Right," said the Doctor, all business. "You breathe for him. I'm starting compressions."

The two fell into a tense rhythm, the Doctor pumping the boy's chest, then sitting back while the woman pinched his nose shut and filled his lungs. Donna sat on her haunches just out of their way, feeling useless, aware of the unnatural silence of the small crowd as it held its collective breath. The bizarre choreography continued for long minutes, until the Doctor stopped the woman with a hand on her shoulder and returned the stethoscope to the young man's chest.

Staring at his open, fixed eyes, Donna didn't need to hear the Doctor's quiet "I'm sorry; he's gone," to know that they'd been too late. The people around her began to murmur, and the Doctor stood up, using his height and aura of authority to draw their attention.

"Someone should go get the supervisor on duty," he said loudly, and several people nodded uneasily and left. He drew Donna aside as others surrounded the dead man, talking in hushed voices. Donna noticed the woman who had helped perform CPR watching them closely as they stepped to the side.

"What was it?" Donna asked. "What happened to him?"

"Acute myocardial infarction," said the Doctor. "A sudden, massive heart attack."

"But he was practically a kid!" said Donna. "What was he... early twenties, maybe?"

The Doctor shrugged. "About that. Unusual, certainly, but not unheard of. A tragedy, though."

"Yeah. When we were younger, Nerys had a cousin who played football. One of his teammates had a heart attack during practice one day. He didn't die, but he was never the same afterwards. It's sad when it happens to someone that young."

The Doctor looked over her shoulder, and Donna turned to see the CPR volunteer walk up to them.

"Hello again," said the Doctor. "I'm sorry; there wasn't time to ask for your name earlier. I'm the Doctor, and this is Donna. Thank you for helping earlier."

"I haven't seen you before," said the woman.

"Er, no. You haven't. We're just--" The Doctor glanced at Donna before returning his gaze to the woman. "-- visiting."

"This wasn't an accident."

"What?" asked Donna.

"He was the third one in the last two months."

"The third heart attack victim? Really?" asked the Doctor. "Were they all this young?"

"Sí." The woman nodded, looking over her shoulder at the sound of several people approaching. "My name is Analisa, and I'm telling you right now-- _this was not an accident _."__

__With that, she slipped away, and was lost in the crowd of taller men milling around the dead worker._ _

__"Hey!" Donna called. "Come back!"_ _

__She was distracted by the Doctor's hand on her arm._ _

__"Donna," he said quietly. "Here comes the supervisor."_ _

__Donna looked around just as a fat, sweaty man in a hardhat approached them, conspicuous in his jeans and button-down shirt among the sea of orange overalls._ _

__"Who are you, and what's going on here?" he snapped._ _

__The Doctor stepped forward. "Hello, Señor--?" The prompt was met with stony silence. "Er... yes. I'm the Doctor, and this is my... associate, Miss Noble." He whipped out the psychic paper, meeting Donna's eyes with a quick _play along_ glance. "We're with the UN oilfield, um, inspection division, and we're here to inspect your... oilfield."_ _

__"Yes. Right," she affirmed. "We were just about to start-- inspecting-- when that man collapsed of a heart attack. The Doctor tried to save him, but, well, it was too late."_ _

__The supervisor looked from her face to the psychic paper, up to the Doctor's face, and back to the paper. "I see," he said finally. "I'm José Esperanza. I'm in charge here. Come back to my office and we'll speak further." He turned to the men with him. "Miguel, Raúl-- take the body to the clinic. I'll be along shortly. Doctor, Miss Noble, follow me."_ _

__The Doctor looked at her, eyebrows raised. "After you, Miss Noble."_ _

__"My pleasure, _Inspector_ " she muttered, and followed Sr Esperanza toward the little cluster of buildings off to their right._ _

* * *

__Donna released a breath as the door to the little trailer closed behind her, sealing out the oppressive heat. A tiny window air conditioning unit chugged away in the back, fighting the jungle humidity._ _

__The supervisor removed his hard hat and opened a little refrigerator in the corner, then offered them each a plastic bottle of water. "Here," he said. "It appears the jungle's heat does not agree with you."_ _

__"Thanks," Donna said, opening the bottle and drinking. Beside her, the Doctor sipped his drink politely and set it down on the desk._ _

__"Now," said the Doctor. "About these deaths..."_ _

__Esperanza looked at him sharply, obviously surprised. "Deaths?" he echoed._ _

__The Doctor leaned forward, placing his hands on Esperanza's desk. "Yes. Deaths. Three heart attacks in two months; all young, healthy men. Quite odd, I'm sure you'd agree."_ _

__The little man narrowed his eyes. "I'm not sure where you got your information, señor--"_ _

__"Oh," said Donna, "UNOID has eyes everywhere."_ _

__" _UNOID_?" the Doctor mouthed at her silently, giving her what she'd come to think of as the _are you completely insane_ look._ _

__"You know... the United Nations Oilfield Inspection Division," she clarified._ _

__"Oh. Right," said the Doctor._ _

__Esperanza continued as though he had not been interrupted. "-- but my full report on these regrettable incidents is on file. Our medic certified the deaths as being due to natural causes. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must make arrangements for the poor boy who died this morning-- contact the family, fill out paperwork-- I'm sure you understand. I will be happy to speak with you at length later. In the meantime..."_ _

__"Of course. Don't mind us, Sr Esperanza, we've our own reports to write. Isn't that right, Miss Noble?" said the Doctor._ _

__"Absolutely," she agreed. "You know the UN; everything in triplicate, signed in five places and due last Thursday."_ _

__"Quite," said Esperanza. "Feel free to make use of this office until I return. I'll be back as soon as I can be."_ _

__"Don't hurry on our account," said Donna. Esperanza nodded once, sharply, and left, the door clanging shut behind him._ _

__"Perfect," Donna said. "Now's our chance. We can have a look through good ol' José's desk and see if he's left anything incriminating. Well? Doctor? You're being awfully quiet over there."_ _

__She turned to her uncharacteristically silent companion, to find him leaning against the desk, slumped forward slightly, one hand clutching at his chest._ _

__"Doctor!" she gasped, rushing over to him. He held up his other hand to ward her off, grimacing for a moment before seemingly bringing himself back under control._ _

__"It's all right, Donna," he said in a slightly strained voice. "I'm okay." His voice gained a bit of it's normal strength, and he straightened carefully. "Right. There's some good news, and some bad news."_ _

__"What's the good news?" she asked._ _

__"There's no need to search the office. I've got a pretty good idea what's going on here. I think the workers are being dosed with some sort of stimulant drug designed to make them more productive, but with the unfortunate side effect of occasionally causing them to die of heart failure."_ _

__"That's horrible!" Donna exclaimed, then went silent for a beat. "Wait. What's the bad news?"_ _

__"The bad news is that drug is being administered through the water." He watched as Donna's gaze fell on her half-finished water bottle, sitting on the edge of the desk. "Yeah. _That_ water."_ _

* * *

__Donna looked from the water bottle back to the Doctor. "But I don't feel any different. Why's it only affecting you?"_ _

__"Time Lord metabolism. I'm more sensitive to many drugs than a human would be. That reaction was my immune system trying to figure out the drug's molecular structure; my body's breaking it down right now."_ _

__"Oh," said Donna. "Good."_ _

__"Good for me; not much help for you." He frowned, his expression sending a shiver through her and causing her heart to pound. "Give me your arm, Donna."_ _

__Donna let the Doctor take her wrist, his fingers circling to rest on her pulse point._ _

__"Bit fast," he said._ _

__"That's just adrenaline," Donna said, hoping that if she sounded sure enough about it, that would make it true._ _

__"Mmm. Possibly. Not sure if you'd be able to tell the difference. Try not to worry, though; there are hundreds of people working here. If we assume that most of them are being dosed with the drug, then the heart problems seem to be fairly uncommon."_ _

__"Doctor," Donna said quietly, "my dad died of a heart attack last year. He was only fifty-eight. That makes me more likely to have a heart attack, yeah? Because he did?"_ _

__The Doctor frowned, sliding his grip from her wrist to her hand, and giving it a squeeze. "Not necessarily, Donna. There are lots of risk factors besides genetics. Tell you what... try not to exert yourself too much until we get this sorted out."_ _

__"You're the one always making me run," she pointed out._ _

__"Not this time. No running for a few hours, and by then it will probably have left your system naturally." He grabbed one of the half-empty water bottles and stuffed it in a suspiciously spacious jacket pocket. "I'll take this for testing in the TARDIS, just in case..."_ _

__"Doctor, who's doing this? I mean, seriously-- what are they playing at? Drugging your workers has got to be ten different kinds of illegal. Why take the chance, especially after they start dropping dead on the job? Wouldn't it be a lot simpler to hire more workers?"_ _

__"Not under the circumstances," said the Doctor darkly._ _

__"What's that supposed to mean?" Donna asked. "There's something you're not telling me, so _spill it_. It's the thing you didn't want me to know about-- back in the TARDIS when you wanted to leave. Isn't it?"_ _

__"Donna, the oil company can't just go out and hire more workers in 2024 because there are no more workers available."_ _

__"Doctor, that doesn't make any sense. So, what-- you're trying to tell me that the world finally achieves zero percent unemployment in the future? Terrific!" she said, making no attempt to hide her sarcasm._ _

__"Not exactly," said the Doctor, not meeting her eyes._ _

__Donna made a sound of frustration and grabbed his arm, forcing him to look at her. "Look, Martian Boy, if you're trying to keep my heart from working too hard, you're doing it wrong, _because I can feel my blood pressure going through the ceiling as we speak._ We're hip deep in this mess, so you can bloody well look me in the eye and tell me what the _hell_ is going on here."_ _

__"The oil company can't just go out and hire more workers in 2024... because the world's population was reduced by almost thirty percent a couple of years ago by the 2022 flu pandemic. More than two billion people died in the span of eight months."_ _

__Donna felt behind her for the desk chair and sat down heavily. "Two... _billion people?_ " She shook her head. "Was it, like, bird flu or something?"_ _

__"Actually, it incubated in rats and mice, but the concept was the same. It jumped to humans, mutated, became airborne, and the vaccinations never caught up with it. Now there's a huge shortage of labour, just like after the Black Death. Just as it did then, it's made labour more valuable... but it's also made it very rewarding for any entity that can squeeze more productivity out of the workers they already have... by hyping them up on stimulants, for instance."_ _

__Donna stared at the Doctor, hearing his words but not really taking them in. "I need to phone my mum," she said._ _

__"You can't," said the Doctor._ _

__"Like hell I can't," said Donna, pulling her phone from her pocket. "Two billion people died. I have to see if my family's okay."_ _

__The Doctor's hand closed around her wrist, and Donna glared at him. "Let me go," she said dangerously._ _

__"Donna, just listen. Listen to me for a minute. Your mother and your granddad might be dead right now. They might be alive. We don't know. But if you find out for certain, then there's no going back-- you'll have to live with that knowledge forever. That's the burden of time travel, Donna, and it's not one I want you to carry."_ _

__"It didn't stop you from hanging out with your girlfriend from the future, back in the Library, did it?" she snapped, scared and furious._ _

__The Doctor's expression did not change, but he suddenly seemed older; wearier. "No. It didn't. And River Song died, right in front of me. At some point in the future, I'll meet her again. I might know her for years, Donna. Decades. And every time I look at her, I'll see her in my mind... burning."_ _

__Donna swallowed hard._ _

__"I don't want you to have that feeling every time you look at Wilf. Or Sylvia," he continued. "Your family is fine. They're in 2008, just where you left them. Let's keep it that way, okay?"_ _

__He must have felt the fight drain out of her, because he released his grip, letting her hand fall to her side, still holding the mobile tightly._ _

__She nodded, not meeting his eyes. "Yeah. Okay." Donna put the phone away, feeling shaky. She scrubbed her face with her hands for a moment, and looked up at the Doctor. "I'm sorry about River Song, Doctor. That was a horrible thing to bring up."_ _

__The Doctor reached out, placing a kind hand on her shoulder for a moment. "Don't be sorry, Donna Noble," he said. "She wasn't. Now, tell me how you feel. Your face is flushed."_ _

__"I feel nervous. Jittery. Like I need to be moving."_ _

__"That'll be the drug."_ _

__"Wonderful," she muttered. "So, what next?"_ _

__"We need to find Analisa. She obviously knows something about what's going on here. Then, we need to get you back to the TARDIS and analyse this water sample, find an antidote, figure out where the drug is coming from, and see how high up the chain of command the corruption goes so we can stop it."_ _

__"Is that all? Right, then. Let's go find our informant," said Donna, eager to get moving and _do_ something._ _

* * *

__As it turned out, their informant was as desperate to talk to them as they were to her. As they left Esperanza's office and re-emerged into the oppressive heat, they heard a soft "Psst!" from around the corner of the little building. Checking to make sure no one was watching, they slipped around the side to find Analisa waiting for them._ _

__"Just the person we wanted to talk to," said Donna._ _

__"You know what's going on around here, Analisa. I need you to tell me everything," said the Doctor._ _

__Analisa nodded. "My name is Analisa Mendes," she said. "I'm a journalist. I came here, undercover, after a woman wrote to my newspaper about her son, who died here six months ago under mysterious circumstances. We did a little digging, and found that _lots_ of people's sons, and a couple of daughters, have died here under mysterious circumstances. How much have you found out?"_ _

__"We know about the drug," said Donna._ _

__"Well," the Doctor corrected, "we know that there _is_ a drug. We don't actually know much about it, yet."_ _

__Analisa looked closely at Donna's flushed, sweat-beaded face. "You drank the water, didn't you? _Mierda!_ I should have warned you about the water."_ _

__"Not your fault," said the Doctor. "Tell me what you know about it."_ _

__"The drug comes in bottled water shipped her from government warehouses in Caracas..."_ _

__" _Government_ warehouses! You mean the government knows about this?" Donna exclaimed._ _

__Analisa shrugged. "I think the government is behind the whole thing, in collusion with the oil company. In fact, I'm not sure if the top levels of the oil company even know about it, though the management here obviously does. Oil is money for the Venezuelan government, señora. And the Venezuelan government is hanging on by a thread right now. One the one hand, more productive workers-- workers who barely need to sleep-- mean more oil flowing, and enough money to keep the police state running for another day. On the other hand, if word of what they're doing got out, it could be enough to topple the junta."_ _

__"But about the drug itself..." the Doctor prompted._ _

__"Right. It's shipped in in the water, and everyone drinks it because the local water isn't potable. I suspect that there's an uncontaminated water shipment for management, but I haven't been able to find it. Anyway, once you drink it, it makes you high as a kite--"_ _

__"I've noticed," said Donna, still jittery._ _

__"-- and you can work like two men until the dose wears off after a few hours... then you need more."_ _

__The Doctor frowned. "I don't like the way you said 'need' just now."_ _

__Analisa raised an eyebrow. "Very astute. One dose, and you're addicted."_ _

__"What!" Donna said._ _

__"As soon as I figured out what was going on, I tried to avoid the water. When the drug wore off, I thought I was going to die. _Literally_ thought I was going to die. Now I'm trapped here, near the source of the drug so I can get my next fix. They keep complete control over the water supply; I can't get enough extra to take with me for the hike to my drop point, which is three days' walk._ _

__"I tried rationing; just drinking part of what they gave me and saving the rest, but the withdrawal pangs got too bad. There's a lockdown on all communications with the outside world. I haven't been able contact my newspaper, couldn't get to the rendezvous at the drop point... as far as they're concerned, I've disappeared completely."_ _

__The Doctor ran a hand through his wild hair, rumpling it further. "This is extremely not good."_ _

__Hearing a noise, Donna peeked around the corner. "It's about to get even less good. Here comes our good friend Jose, with a couple of goons in tow."_ _

__"We need to get back to the TARDIS, right now," said the Doctor._ _

__"What's a TARDIS?" asked Analisa._ _

__"It's our... transport," said the Doctor. "Analisa, will you come with us? Anything you know, no matter how insignificant, could help us put a stop to this. I need to get this water sample to the lab so I can find an antidote of some kind."_ _

__"You have that kind of equipment? Here?"_ _

__"You'd be amazed," muttered Donna._ _

__Analisa nodded. "I'll come."_ _

__"Good," said the Doctor. "Follow me, both of you. We need to stay out of sight."_ _

__The trio made their way through the camp, trying to be inconspicuous, and eventually slipped into the equipment storage area where the TARDIS was hidden._ _

__"That's just a wooden box," said Analisa._ _

__"You don't know the half of it, Analisa," said Donna with a smile, and led the other woman inside._ _

__She stumbled to a halt, her grip digging in to Donna's forearm, wide eyes darting around the console room. "But... it's... it's..."_ _

__"Yeah... here's the thing," said the Doctor. "Normally I love this part, but we're a bit pressed for time. I need to get an antidote synthesised before the two of you need your next dose. Donna, take Analisa to the medical bay. Scan her with the cardiopulmonary scanner-- the green one-- and then scan yourself. Make a note of the readings in the third and fifth columns, then come and tell me what they are. I'll be in the main lab, down the hall from the mini golf course."_ _

__"Got it," said Donna, relieved to have something to do. "Green scanner, third and fifth columns, main lab."_ _

__The Doctor smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes, and left._ _

__"Come on, Analisa," Donna said. "If you thought this room was weird, you haven't seen anything yet."_ _

* * *

__Four hours later, Donna sat on a stool in the lab, trying to stop herself from chewing her fingernails as the drug raced around and around her bloodstream, slowly driving her crazy. Analisa paced back and forth, arms folded tightly across her chest._ _

__Donna jumped nervously as the Doctor growled in frustration and shoved aside the beaker he was examining with a clank of glassware._ _

__"This is ridiculous!" he said. "That's the _fifth failure_. Anyone would think that the idiot who designed this drug didn't _want_ it to have an antidote."_ _

__"Maybe they didn't," said Analisa._ _

__"I've never seen a compound with a withdrawal cycle so vicious," the Doctor continued. "Block one set of symptoms, and there's another one to take its place."_ _

__"You didn't seem to have too much trouble with it," Donna said. "Didn't you say your body eliminated it?"_ _

__"Different metabolism. There were no withdrawal symptoms because my immune system prevented it from binding with any neuro-receptors. In you and Analisa-- and all of the other workers-- it's got a nice, firm foothold already."_ _

__"Look," said Donna, trying to stay positive. "You'll get it figured out soon, Doctor. I mean-- you've already made progress. If nothing else, you've eliminated five things that don't work, right?"_ _

__"Yes," said the Doctor, making a clear effort to bring his frustration under control. "You're right, Donna, of course. It's just a matter of time."_ _

__They both turned sharply at a small sob from Analisa, who now stood hugging herself tightly in the corner by the door._ _

__"Analisa, what's the matter?" the Doctor asked, crossing slowly to the pale, trembling woman._ _

__"It's starting," she said. "The withdrawal symptoms. Time is exactly what I don't have at the moment."_ _

__Donna approached Analisa from the other side and tried to place a supportive hand on her arm, only to have her flinch and jerk away. "Doctor, can you give her some of the water you brought back-- maybe stave it off for a bit?"_ _

__The Doctor shook his head. "No. I had to use all of it to get a large enough sample to work with for the antidote."_ _

__"I have to go back," Analisa said. "I have to go back right now!"_ _

__Donna looked at the Doctor. "Maybe I could take her back to the office. Sneak in and grab some of the bottles in the refrigerator. We could wait until no one's watching, then duck in and duck out with no one the wiser. It would only take a minute-- and, though I hate to think about it, it won't be long until I'm in the same boat as Analisa."_ _

__"No, Donna," said the Doctor._ _

__"Doctor, you're more use here in the lab, trying to find the antidote. And, frankly, if I don't get a chance to move and _do something_ , I'm going to break into your room and start alphabetising your sock drawer... because this drug is leaving me. Just. A bit. On. Edge," she said, punctuating her final words by poking the Doctor in the chest before realising what she was doing and stepping back with a faint blush._ _

__"I'm going now, whether she's coming or not," said Analisa. She unclenched one fist long enough to rummage in the pocket of her overalls. "Here. Take this." She handed the Doctor what looked like a tiny silver iPod. "My recorded notes about what's going on here. Promise me that if something happens, you'll get them to my editor at the _Diario Frontera_. His name is Jorge Oquendo."_ _

__"Nothing's going to happen, Analisa, because I'm coming with you." Donna looked at the Doctor. "Don't look like that, Doctor-- we'll be in and out, and back here before you know it."_ _

__"Donna," the Doctor said finally. "Be careful. If you're not back here in an hour--"_ _

__"We will be," Donna said. "Now, get back to your test tubes."_ _

__The Doctor frowned, obviously full of misgivings, but only said, "Good luck."_ _

__Donna smiled at him and followed Analisa out of the lab._ _

__The pair exited the TARDIS cautiously, but it seemed that their hiding place had not been discovered. Retracing their steps from earlier, they dodged the other workers as much as possible, moving ever nearer to the supervisor's office with its refrigerator full of drugged water. Finally, they fetched up against the back wall of the trailer, and Analisa peeked through the small window._ _

__"It looks empty," she said. "Now come on. Please hurry!"_ _

__Donna shook her head. "No-- you stay here, Analisa. I've got a reason to be here-- I'm a big shot United Nations inspector, after all. If they catch me, I'll just say I was looking for Esperanza and decided to help myself to a drink while I was waiting." She looked carefully at Analisa's pale, sweaty face. "I'll be quick, I promise."_ _

__Analisa paused, then nodded reluctantly, and Donna peered around the corner. Other than a few workers engaged in their own business, there didn't seem to be anyone around. _Act as if you own the place,_ she thought, and strode up confidently to the door. She opened it, confirming there was no one in the office, and made a beeline for the fridge. Without dimensionally transcendental pockets, there was nothing for it except to grab as many bottles as she could carry and hope for the best. _ _

__And so it was that she found herself maneuvering awkwardly through the door with her arms full of chilly bottles, only to be confronted by the fat supervisor, flanked by two large, intimidating goons._ _

__"Uh... hi," she began. Esperanza and the goons were silent, watching with interest as she floundered. "I was just coming back to talk to you when I, er, noticed that the people working over there by that drill looked really... hot." Still no response. "So... I thought I'd take them some water, to comply with the UN rules on, erm, worker... hydration."_ _

__Esperanza glanced at the goon on his left. "Grab her and take her back inside."_ _

__"Hey!" Donna yelled as she was grabbed, the bottles falling from her arms. From behind the office came a shriek, and moments later Analisa was dragged in behind Donna, and the door slammed shut behind them. The pair were manhandled to a couple of chairs and forced to sit._ _

__"I figured you'd be back before long, _Inspector_ ," said Esperanza, hitching his hip up onto the edge of the desk. "I didn't expect to find our resident journalist in tow, though, I must say."_ _

__Beside Donna, Analisa blanched even paler, if that were possible. "You knew?" she asked, voice shaky._ _

__"Of course," said the supervisor. "It's a pity that I'll actually have to do something about it, now. You were pretty harmless as long as you were isolated here, but now that you've decided to throw your lot in with the UN lackeys... well, we can't have that, now can we?" He looked at Donna. "Speaking of which, where is the other UN lackey? I'll need to get him rounded up as well."_ _

__Donna just glared at him. "No idea, Shorty. Why don't you let us go, and I'll go find him for you?"_ _

__Esperanza just smiled. "I don't think so, Senorita. He'll need another dose of the drug soon, too. When he realises that you aren't coming back, I dare say he'll be along."_ _

__"I dare say he will," Donna muttered under her breath._ _

__"In the meantime, we'll all stay here and see what happens when people stick their noses in where they're not wanted." Esperanza looked at Analisa, and Donna followed his gaze to the young woman, who was shaking hard, hugging herself and rocking back and forth miserably in her chair. Sweat was pouring down her face, even in the relative cool of the air-conditioned office. "And by the looks of our journalist friend, here, we won't have long to wait."_ _

__"You wouldn't!" Donna said, half-rising from her chair, only to be pushed back firmly by the goon standing next to her. "If you don't let her have the drug, she could die! That's inhuman!"_ _

__"Don't be tiresome, Senorita. Humanity needs energy. Here, we do whatever we can to meet to meet that need in very, very trying circumstances."_ _

__"Yeah, right. Lining your pockets all the while, as your workers die of heart attacks outside your air-conditioned office."_ _

__"Would you prefer that the human race slip back into the dark ages, huddling around fires as industry crumbles?" Esperanza shook his head. "Never mind. Soon you and your colleague, and your journalist friend, will all be just an unpleasant memory. Another tragic loss put down to the dangers of travel in the Orinoco."_ _

__Beside Donna, Analisa began to keen, the sound growing into a low wail as the withdrawal pangs ravaged her, and Donna shivered violently._ _

* * *

__There was no telling how much time had passed. The sounds of Analisa screaming and begging for the drug next to her gradually died off to a silence, punctuated by occasionally gasping and retching, which was altogether worse. Every nerve in Donna's body felt as though it was on fire, leaving her hypersensitive to every touch, every smell, every sound, from the rough cloth covering the chair to the sour smell of her own vomit. Sweat was pouring off of her, yet she was freezing, her muscles sore from the continuous violent tremors._ _

__Esperanza's impassive face wavered in and out of focus in front of her. In moments of lucidity, Donna tried to tell him that he would die, if the Doctor arrived to see what he had done and she wasn't there to stop him, but all that came out was a sort of dry croak._ _

__A strange noise prodded at her consciousness, like thousands of flapping wings. _Helicopters_ , said the tiny, rational part of her mind. Donna tried to scream as the sound became louder and louder, almost deafening, tearing at her ears. The door burst open, nearly coming off its hinges, and there was a whirl of confused shouting as the small office was overrun by a confusion of figures in brown and green._ _

__When the chaos ebbed, leaving Donna's pulse pounding like a jackhammer inside her aching skull, another figure rushed over to her, grabbing her wrist and trying to peel back one of her eyelids._ _

__"Donna! Donna, can you hear me?"_ _

__Donna shrieked and flailed against the contact, her hypersensitive nerves on fire wherever she was touched. Her heart pounded as if it would explode any second._ _

__"Help me hold her down!" ordered the figure, and she fought violently as her arm was pinned to the desk next to her chair. A needle pierced her skin, and she arched, convulsing, as cold liquid was pushed into her vein. A moment later, cool hands framed her face, and the burning nerve endings seemed to quiet under the touch. Donna blinked once, twice... and the blur in front of her resolved into the worried face of the Doctor._ _

__"Help... Analisa... " she croaked, her arm flopping uselessly as she tried to reach for the limp form in the other chair... and then she knew no more._ _

* * *

__Donna woke on a makeshift camp bed, still in the supervisor's office. The smell of sweat and vomit had been replaced by the antiseptic tang of cleaning agents and medicine. She looked around cautiously, head still spinning a bit. All of the furniture had been moved to one side to make room for her cot and the one next to it, where Analisa lay, eyes closed. Across the room, figures in camouflage guided a queue of orange-overalled workers forward to where a couple of nurses were swabbing arms and giving injections._ _

__Donna turned her head slowly at the sound of the Doctor's worried voice._ _

__"Donna?"_ _

__He sat on a low stool next to her and took her hand. "Analisa," she said, looking at the still figure on the cot next to hers. "Is she all right?"_ _

__The Doctor squeezed her hand, and said, "She was a lot further gone than you, but her vital signs have stabilised and there's every indication that she'll recover. They're flying her out of here shortly, to the nearest hospital, which as you can imagine, isn't really all that near."_ _

__Donna relaxed back. "Good. Now, at the risk of sounding stupid, _what happened_? I don't really remember much. Who's the cavalry?"_ _

__"After you left the TARDIS, I set up the next set of tests in the lab, and the took a few minutes to send Analisa's recording to the nearest branch of UNIT. Between the contents of that file and my own credentials, they were quite eager to see what was going on first hand. And by 'see', of course, I mean 'descend in black helicopters in great numbers and take the place over'. As luck would have it, I came up with the antidote to the drug at the same time they started breaking down doors and waving guns at people. Between my old UNIT pass and the psychic paper, I was able to get through the melee to where Esperanza was holding you, and give you and Analisa the antidote."_ _

__Donna shook her head. "You're going to have to get yourself a white horse to ride in on, one of these days... not that I'm too thrilled about playing the damsel in distress on any kind of a regular basis."_ _

__"I had a white horse, once. Well... I say white... more of a grey, really. His name was Arthur. I had to leave him in 1758, though, because he couldn't fit through Madame de Pompadour's fireplace."_ _

__"Right," said Donna, resolutely not asking for details. "So, what's gonna happen to this lot, then?"_ _

__"Well, they'll be publicly exposed, for a start. Analisa had enough evidence to link the highest levels of Venezuela's government to this greedy little money-making plot. This bunch have been in charge since Chavez died in 2021, but I suspect they'll be washed right out of power once the wrath of a disapproving humanity starts to rain down on them."_ _

__"To be replaced by something better, I hope?" Donna asked._ _

__The Doctor only shrugged, and Donna sighed, looking heavenward. "Right. _Spoilers._ So, when can we get out of here?"_ _

__"Rest for a few more hours, first." The Doctor looked down at the floor, and Donna saw the cloud come over his features. "You nearly died, Donna."_ _

__She squeezed his hand to make him look at her again. "Yeah, and if I had, it wouldn't have been your fault. _I_ was the one who decided to go back to the office. I was even the one who _brought_ us here, right?" She lay back for a moment, thinking. "Tell you what... why don't you take me home after this?"_ _

__The Doctor looked stricken for a moment, and Donna rolled her eyes. "Not to stay, you numpty! Just for a visit. You can see how Martha's doing with that bloke of hers, and maybe show Granddad a thing or two through his telescope. Then we can go to that giant space spa you've been rattling on about."_ _

__"Fair enough, Donna Noble. Lunch with your Mum and Wilf, then dinner in zero gravity."_ _

__"I'm still not sure about that antigravity restaurant."_ _

__"But, Donna... they have _bibs_!"_ _

___fin_ _ _


End file.
